The 8 ways I love you
by AsamisHair
Summary: The eight ways Mako told Korra he loved her based on '8 Ways To Say I Love You' by R. Mckinley
1. Chapter 1

_Spit it into her voicemail, a little slurred and sounding like the shot whiskey you downed for courage. Feel as ashamed as you do walking into work in last night's clothes. Wake up cringing for days, waiting for her to mention it._

….

Mako lay on his couch, staring at the ceiling. This was the fourth time in 2 days he had found himself studying the white paint of the house that he lived in with Korra. He sighed and looked at his watch, it would still be another 3 days until she returned from the South Pole.

Ever since his girlfriend had left to visit her Mother and Father he had been feeling strange. All he could really decipher from his complex emotions was that he wanted to hold the girl he loved in his arms again.

He thought about that for a moment, _the girl he loved_.

They had never really said 'I love you' to each other, he had been taught that was a very serious phrase that one shouldn't throw around.

"The girl I like" He spoke aloud, tasting the words in his mouth. They tasted bitter, not at all correct. To say that would be comparing his feelings for Korra to someone like Asami. Sure, he _liked_ Asami as a friend and everything, but what he felt with Korra was so much more than that.

"The girl I love" Even as he said it a grin crossed his face, this phrase tasted sweet in his mouth. It tasted of romance and passion and everything he had ever had with the Avatar.

He let out a small happy laugh as he repeated it to himself

"I love Korra"

Although…did she know this? She knew what they had but had she ever put it into words like this?

He sprung from the couch and quickly made his way into their bedroom. Heart pounding, he sat on the large bed and reached for the phone, his hand freezing halfway there.

What if she didn't feel the same way?

What if he had all of this wrong? There must be a reason he had been taught that saying 'I love you' was so taboo

His heard cleared for only a second as he reasoned with himself. He was caught in between his conflicting emotions and, deciding rather quickly, he had gone to the kitchen and taken a swig of whisky from the bottle there.

The shot of whisky he had just downed gave him enough courage to punch in the numbers he had spent the past 2 days memorizing. He waited anxiously as the ringing seemed to mock him, not wanting to cease and relief him of his discomfort

"Hello?"

His heartbeat quickened, Korra had picked up the phone! He revelled for a mere moment at the sound of her voice, still sounding sweet and melodious over the phone

"I love you" He spat, the whisky making his speech sound slightly slurred.

"What?" She asked confused

His eyes widened in panic as his brain told his hand to hang up the phone. He sat, listening to the silence for a minute before throwing his hands against his face and rolling back, cursing himself.

She probably didn't even know it was him, the connection couldn't be the best from Republic City to the South Pole, and his voice sounded like the shot of whisky he had downed for courage.

What if she did know it was him? What if her reply was just her shock of hearing him calling her _and_ professing his love for her? Now she was probably feeling hurt that he hung up on her!

He threw a pillow over his face and yelled into it, trying to find an outlet for his confusion and frustration

The next 3 days weren't spent staring at the ceiling as he had expected, but rather feeling as ashamed as he would walking into work wearing the previous days clothes.

He knew what he said was true but he hated himself for the way he handled the situation.

When Korra returned home his mornings were spent cringing, waiting for her to mention it.

She never did.


	2. Chapter 2

_2. Sigh it into her mouth, wedged in between teeth and tongues. Don't even let your lips move when you say it, ever so lightly, into the air. Maybe it was just an exhalation of ecstasy._

….

Vision blurred I watched her fall

Body arched, eyes closed

The moon of my life disappeared, falling onto the hard ground, I didn't understand the balance of the world anymore. How could the sun rise if the moon had left?

I reacted.

Fire coursed through my entire being and I sent the man who had done this to her flying. The electricity was not nearly as powerful as the emotions coursing through me

She flew too, although not as he had. She flew confidently, every motion displaying the grace of the Airbender she had become. He watched her, transfixed, defining the word beauty in his head.

The masked man fell once more, staining the water as he had stained their lives.

It was all over.

This was the point they had been working towards, but he didn't feel the sense of relief he was expecting. They weren't sharing a happy moment. There was no euphoria.

She was in pain.

Not physical pain, but emotional. Her eyes held deep sadness and confusion as she tried to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't the Avatar

His heart melted for her, he wanted to take her into his arms and protect her from anything the world could throw at her. He wanted her to know that he would always protect her.

She threw up a barrier, blocking herself from the world. He could not break through it, but a small part of him resisted, knowing she would resent him if he destroyed her shield.

The universe became dark as she faded into a shadow, no longer a beacon of light.

A small flame flickered in the darkness though, the hope that they both clung onto. The hope that it could be restored by master healers in the South.

The flame was blown out by the icy winds.

The despair in her eyes ripped at the stiches he had sewn to keep his heart beating. They slowly unravelled and he felt the pain once more.

He ran after her, not willing to give up on this, not willing to give up on _her_ even if she already had. Her words stung. He shook his head, trying to comprehend, why did she think he would leave her now? This was when she needed him the most.

He followed her once more, he was afraid of what she might do when she felt so unwanted.

There she was, a beacon of light again, standing tall, surrounded by the elements. His heart mended as he watched her, feeling the exhilaration and euphoria that she surely did.

She turned to see him, he smiled as he finally had closure to their story.

_This_ was the ending he had been working toward, _this_ is how it should have ended. Lost in each other's arms, marvelling at how perfectly she fit.

They were made for each other.

In that moment, wedged between teeth and tongues he knew. He sighed it into her mouth, lips unmoving as he said it ever so lightly, into the air.

Maybe she would think it was just an exhalation of ecstasy.


	3. Chapter 3

_3. Buy her flowers. Buy her chocolate. Buy her a teddy bear, because that's what every romantic comedy has taught you. Take her out to a nice restaurant where neither of you feel comfortable and spend the whole night clearing your throat and tugging at your tie. Feel like your actions are more suited to a proposal than the simple confession of something you've always known._

….

"Uhh here" He said, hand raised behind his head in an awkward position as he handed her the bouquet of flowers with a lopsided grin

"Mako" She smiled, saying his name in a tone which suggested 'you shouldn't have'

This was how love went, right? He'd never had too much experience with it. From what knowledge he had gathered over the years, he thought it went like this. He was supposed to give her flowers, chocolate, teddy bears, little things to show his affection for her. They were supposed to go out to fancy restaurants and hold hands while walking together, he was supposed to tell her he loved her.

He told her of the reservation he had made at Kwongs Cuisine, she smiled at his thoughtfulness. Her smile warmed his heart and made his stomach do flips, yes, this was certainly how love went. Tonight he planned to tell her of his feelings toward her, then everything would be official, just how love worked.

She looked stunning in her silky blue dress, her hair let down for the occasion. He had worn his best clothes even though the made him feel uncomfortable. He pulled her chair out for her, following the protocol he had picked up over the years, and sat down.

He tugged at his tie, it was stiff against his neck and made him feel as though he was suffocating. He strongly wished he had worn his scarf, the red material was soft and yielding, holding a lifetime of love from his parents.

Korra looked around awkwardly, smiling politely as he caught her eye and then looking back at her meal. He cleared his throat as he tried to think of something to say.

He looked around at all the other couples in the restaurant, they were all older than them, wedding rings caught the light from the many candle lit. He was beginning to think he had this whole 'love' thing wrong

He was beginning to feel like his actions were more suited to a proposal than the simple confession of something you've always known.

He cleared his throat again, wondering how he should tell her. Coming right out with it after so little conversation would startle her, and so he waited.

They became more relaxed as time went on, finding topics to chat and laugh about.

She mocked him and he teased her, their playful banter dissolving the walls they had made. Conversation flowed as easily as water and as they left the restaurant entangled his fingers with hers

"Tonight was fun" She smiled, her cerulean eyes bright

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself" He gave a crooked grin, his nerves made his voice sound huskier, he wondered what she thought of the effect

The scent of her perfume drew him in closer and soon she was the only being in existence

The music that was their night swelled and hit a big crescendo

He realised as he pulled back and lost himself in her eyes, this was love. Love wasn't measured by tangible tokens of affection or by how often you sat in uncomfortable restaurants, what they had was love and he was sure of it.

He leant over and whispers his realisation in her ear, her eyes widening as she answered him with a passionate kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

4. Whisper it into her hair in the middle of the night, after you've counted the space between her breaths and are certain she's asleep. Shut your eyes quickly when she shifts toward you in askance. Maybe you were just sleep whispering.

….

One…two…He watched her chest rise with an intake of breath, one….two…he watched it fall as she gently exhaled. His counting wasn't perfect, the space in between her breaths was more like two and a half seconds, slightly less if he wanted to be perfectly accurate.

Her rhythmic breathes calmed him and he found his breath slowing. Her face was free from any distress and he was mesmerised by the way the moonlight tangled through her long hair, not tied up as she slept.

Her hair splayed out over her pillow and he stroked a small strand, revelling in the fact that he was here laying with her. It all seemed so surreal, it was like a dream.

Somehow, the Avatar had fallen for _him_, and he had fallen too. Hard.

He continued counting her breaths, if he stayed still enough he could feel her heartbeat against the arm he had wrapped around her. She clung onto it, the way a small child may cling to a toy. He had no problem with it, he found it rather endearing. It was quite comfortable too, and he was able to sleep in peace knowing she was in his arms.

Every other matter in existence seemed a world away, every problem had found a momentary solution as he held Korra. They had found a small slice of peace during the war, and he wasn't willing to let it go.

He wished they could stay like this forever, but he knew that eventually the sun would rise, and so would they.

He indulged himself for a little longer, memorising every feature of her face. Once her eyebrows creased ever so slightly, but he shifted his arm slightly tighter around her and she relaxed.

He hoped she was having pleasant dreams.

His dreams were about her, mostly. About kisses sneaked while no one was watching and those they had done in front of everyone. Of long forgotten jokes and plans, brushed aside by the threat of war. The passion they had and his love for her.

He knew she was asleep by now, she had drifted off a while ago, lost in a dreamlike state of being. He was pretty certain nothing could wake her up now, spirits he had tried to wake her too many times to know what a heavy sleeper she was. She was thoroughly that the morning was evil.

He assumed that was the part of her that was a native waterbender. He, as a firebender, rose with the sun. Korra liked to stay up late, revelling in the moons glow.

He knew he should try and sleep, Korra would get mad if he was tired tomorrow. He didn't want to risk himself not being at the top of his game.

He pressed his lips against the back of her head, giving her a sweet kiss. 'I love you" he whispered into her hair. This was a habit he had picked up, he was use to whispering this to her when he knew she was asleep. He had not yet found the right time to tell her in waking.

She shifted slightly in her sleep, then started to turn around. He closed his eyes quickly, pretending to be asleep as she shifted toward him.

He could feel her eyes on him, looking at him in askance. He concentrated on keeping his breath even- he had been so sure she was asleep.

She started to move again, laying down in his arms facing him this time. He resisted the urge to hug her to him, not wanting to shatter the illusion of sleep.

She probably thought he was just whispering in his sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

5. Blurt it out in the middle of an impromptu dance party in the kitchen, as clumsy as your two left feet. When time seems to freeze, hastily tack on "in that shirt" or "when you make your award-winning meatballs" or, if you are feeling particularly brave, "when we do this." Resume dancing and pretend you don't feel her eyes on you the rest of the night.

….

Korra fiddled with the radio as he stood over the stove, creating a meal for them to share. Korra had tried to once, but ended up using her firebending to aid the stove and almost burning down the kitchen. They agreed after that to let him do the cooking.

He didn't mind, his skills had been sharpened over the years as he had tried to scrounge up edible food for his brother and him.

"Is there _nothing_ good on?" Complained the Avatar, reaching yet another radio station of boring news.

"Define good" said Mako, shooting her a grin as he tossed some more herbs into the pan. After looking through their ingredients he had settled on making meatballs.

"I don't know, something interesting, or some good music"

He shook his head slightly and chuckled to himself as she resumed fiddling with the notches, the sound of static filled the room, sometimes interrupted by a few words or bars of a song. She didn't deem these appropriate however as she kept searching

The fiddling stopped as a slow, jazzy tune seemed to fill the room. Nostalgia struck him as he realised this was "Left my heart in Republic City", the song they had danced to on their first date.

She smiled softly, her eyes filled with remembrance.

He left the stove, walking over to her and offering her his hand. She accepted it and soon they were spinning in small circles. Their impromptu dance party was only marred by his 2 left feet, but Korra was light enough on hers to make up for it.

This was the instrumental version of the song, but he remembered that it had lyrics. He began to whisper them softly in her ear as they span, the dizziness they felt not caused by the spinning. "Lost my heart, to the dawn…"

This moment was perfect, the dim lights casting a soft glow upon both of them as they swayed to the song, less content with dancing and more content with just being in each other's arms.

He held her closer, never wanting to let her go. She seemed willing to continue to be held like this forever.

"I love you" He blurted out, staring down into her crystal blue eyes. It wasn't until they widened that he realised what he had said "…when we do this" he tacked on, panicking.

He wasn't sure why he did it, but he knew what he said was true.

He continued dancing with her, pretending not to notice the heavy blush that had spread across her cheeks. He was sure his face was slightly flushed, he was thankful for the soft lighting once more.

The song soon ended and he had to return to the stove before _he_ was the one who burned down the kitchen.

The meal tasted nice enough, but he pretended not to notice her eyes on him as they ate, or for the rest of the night.


End file.
